Stabbing thwarted at Hevron's Cave of Machpelah

Terrorist found with a knife in his possession ahead of an attack at holy site in Hevron.

Ari Yashar, 06/05/16 07:43

Knife in thwarted Cave of Mapchpelah stabbing

Police Spokesperson

An Arab terrorist was arrested on Friday morning by Border Police adjacent to the Cave of Machpelah in Hevron, after he was found to have a knife in his possession.

The man apparently was planning to launch a stabbing attack on the security forces guarding the site, where the Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs other than Rachel are buried.

No one was wounded in the incident, and the suspect was transferred to investigation.

A police statement revealed that the terrorist, a 26-year-old resident of Hevron, approached a security post adjacent to the Cave of Machpelah on foot, and aroused the suspicions of the Border Police officers.

They called for him to stop while conducting standard procedures for arresting a suspected terrorist and keeping a secure distance from him. He was arrested at the site, and a knife was found on him.

In an initial investigation at the scene the terrorist admitted that he intended to conduct a stabbing attack against security forces.

The attempted stabbing comes as part of the Arab terror wave that has claimed the lives of 34 victims since started last September.

It also comes even as the southern front with Gaza is heating up - Hamas terrorists in recent days have launched numerous mortar attacks on IDF soldiers working to unearth their terror tunnels that lead under the security border to facilitate attacks.

There have been no casualties among the soldiers, and in response the IDF has hit back with tank fire and airstrikes on Hamas terror targets, reportedly killing one Gazan woman on Thursday.